Thursday, October 04, 2007

In his inaugural address on 20th January 1989, President George Bush spoke of a "thousand points of light." His reference was to community organizations doing good.

But now America has another President George Bush. His "thousand points of light" are from white phosphorus weaponry in Iraq, and muzzle flashes from military snipers on supposed preemptive strikes. He and his cronies are squandering vast resources overseas, leaving little for domestic programs. But more problematic is that consistently they are misreporting key elements (why war was necessary, how long it would take, how much it would cost). They've punished 'dissidents & troublemakers' within their ranks who've reported inconvenient facts. These leaders are not simply stupid -- we are. Too few Americans recognize being hoodwinked. Shine a floodlight on their shenanigans.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Tonight I sat at a local restaurant in central Seoul where news images on a large-screen TV silently showed of South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun's historic visit to Pyongyang, North Korea. I was very interested to watch so many other diners swiveled around watching the scenes of North Korea.

For the 49 million people of the South, the real lives of 23 million North Koreans can barely be imagined. But these people share language and culture, and a long history. Two Koreas, operationally distant and at-odds in recent decades, are much more alike than different, with a common background linking them together in special ways.

Reunification may be a common dream to both sides, yet it is difficult to see how such a thing might come about. In any event, this week's images of leaders from the two Koreas chatting in a common language has stirred the imagination of more than a few people.